Abraham sweareth his servant.

1 ¶ And Abrahamº was old,ºª [and] well strickenºª in age:º and the LORDº had blessedºª² Abrahamº in all things.² 2 And Abrahamº saidºª unto² his eldestº servantº of his house,º that ruled² over¹ª all² that² he had, Put,ºª I pray thee,² thy handº under² my thigh:º 3 And I will make thee swearºª by the LORD,º the Godº of heaven,º and the Godº of the earth,º that² thou shalt not² takeºª a wifeº unto my sonº of the daughtersº² of the Canaanites,º amongº whom² I² dwell:ºª 4 But² thou shalt go¹ª² unto² my country,º and to² my kindred,º and takeºª a wifeº unto my sonº Isaac.º 5 And the servantº saidºª unto² him, Peradventure² the womanº will not² be willingºª to follow¹ª²² me¹ unto² this² land:º must I needs bringºª² thy sonº again¹ª unto² the landº from whence²²² thou camest?ºª 6 And Abrahamº saidºª unto² him, Bewareºª thou that² thou bringºª not¹² my sonº thither² again.¹ª

7 ¶ The LORDº Godº of heaven,º which² took² me¹ª from my father's¹ house,º²² and from the landº² of my kindred,º and which² spakeºª unto me, and that² swareºª unto me, saying,ºª Unto thy seedº will I giveºª² this² land;º he² shall sendºª his angelº before² thee,¹ and thou shalt takeºª a wifeº unto my sonº from thence.²² 8 And if² the womanº will not² be willingºª to follow¹ª²² thee,¹ then thou shalt be clearºª from this my oath:º²² only² bringºª not²² my sonº thither² again.¹ª 9 And the servantº putºª² his handº under² the thighº of Abrahamº his master,º and swareºª to him concerningº thatº matter.º

The servant's journey.

10 ¶ And the servantº tookºª tenº camelsº of the camelsº² of his master,º and departed;¹ª² for all² the goodsº of his masterº [were] in his hand:º and he arose,ºª and went¹ª² to² Mesopotamia,º unto² the cityº of Nahor.º 11 And he made¹ª his camelsº to kneel downºª withoutº² the cityº byº a wellº of waterº at the timeº of the evening,º [even] the timeº that women go outºª to drawºª [water].

His prayer.

12 And he said,ºª O LORDº Godº of my masterº Abraham,º I pray thee,² send me¹ good speedºª² this day,º and shewºª kindnessº untoº my masterº Abraham.º 13 Behold,² I² standºª [here] by² the wellº of water;º and the daughtersº of the men¹² of the cityº come outºª to drawºª water:º

His sign.

14 And let it come to pass,² that the damselº to whom² I shall say,ºª² Let downºª thy pitcher,º I pray thee,² that I may drink;ºª and she shall say,ºª Drink,ºª and I will give¹ª thy camelsº drinkºª also:² [let the same be] she [that] thou hast appointedºª for thy servantº Isaac;º and thereby shall I knowºª that² thou hast shewedºª kindnessº unto² my master.º

Rebekah meeteth him,

15 ¶ And it came to pass,² before² he² had doneºª speaking,ºª that, behold,² Rebekahº came out,ºª whoº was bornºª to Bethuel,º sonº of Milcah,º the wifeº of Nahor,º Abraham'sº brother,º with her pitcherº upon² her shoulder.º 16 And the damselº [was] veryº fairº to look upon,º a virgin,º neither² had any manº knownºª her: and she went downºª to the well,º and filledºª her pitcher,º and came up.ºª 17 And the servantº ranºª to meet² her,¹ª and said,ºª Let me, I pray thee,² drinkºª a littleº waterº of thy pitcher.º²

fulfilleth his sign,

18 And she said,ºª Drink,ºª my lord:º and she hasted,ºª and let downºª her pitcherº upon² her hand,º and gave him drink.ºª 19 And when she had doneºª giving him drink,ºª she said,ºª I will drawºª [water] for thy camelsº also,² until²² they have doneºª drinking.ºª 20 And she hasted,ºª and emptiedºª her pitcherº into² the trough,º and ranºª again² unto² the wellº to drawºª [water], and drewºª for all² his camels.º 21 And the manº wonderingºª at her held his peace,ºª to witºª whether the LORDº had made¹ª his journeyº prosperousºª orº not.²

receiveth jewels,

22 And it came to pass,² as² the camelsº had doneºª drinking,ºª that the manº tookºª a goldenº earringº of half a shekelº weight,º and twoº braceletsº for² her handsº of tenº [shekels] weightº of gold;º

sheweth her kindred,

23 And said,ºª Whoseº daughterº [art] thou?º tellºª me, I pray thee:² is thereº roomº [in] thy father'sº houseº for us to lodge in?ºª 24 And she saidºª unto² him, I² [am] the daughterº of Bethuelº the sonº of Milcah,º which² she bareºª unto Nahor.º

and inviteth him home.

25 She saidºª moreover unto² him, We have bothº strawº and² provenderº enough,º andº roomº to lodge in.ºª

The servant blesseth God.

26 And the manº bowed down his head,ºª and worshippedºª the LORD.º 27 And he said,ºª Blessedºª [be] the LORDº Godº of my masterº Abraham,º who² hath not² left destituteººª² my masterº of his mercyº and his truth:º I² [being] in the way,º the LORDº led² me¹ª to the houseº of my master'sº brethren.º 28 And the damselº ran,ºª and toldºª [them of] her mother'sº houseº these² things.º

Laban entertaineth him.

29 ¶ And Rebekahº had a brother,º and his nameº [was] Laban:º and Labanº ranºª outº unto² the man,º unto² the well.º 30 And it came to pass,² when he sawºª² the earringº and braceletsº upon² his sister'sº hands,º and when he heardºª² the wordsº of Rebekahº his sister,º saying,ºª Thusº spakeºª the manº unto² me; that he cameºª unto² the man;º and, behold,² he stoodºª byº the camelsº at² the well.º 31 And he said,ºª Come in,ºª thou blessedºª of the LORD;º wherefore² standestºª thou without?º for I² have preparedºª the house,º and roomº for the camels.º

32 ¶ And the manº cameºª into the house:º and he ungirdedºª his camels,º and gaveºª strawº and provenderº for the camels,º and waterº to washºª his feet,º and the men's¹² feetº that² [were] with² him. 33 And there was setºªª¹ª [meat] before² him¹ to eat:ºª but he said,ºª I will not² eat,ºª until²² I have toldºª mine errand.º And he said,ºª Speak on.ºª

The servant sheweth his message.

34 And he said,ºª I² [am] Abraham'sº servant.º 35 And the LORDº hath blessedºª² my masterº greatly;º and he is become great:ºª and he hath givenºª him flocks,º and herds,º and silver,º and gold,º and menservants,º and maidservants,º and camels,º and asses.º 36 And Sarahº my master'sº wifeº bareºª a sonº to my masterº whenº she was old:º and unto him hath he givenºª² all² that² he hath. 37 And my masterº made me swear,ºª saying,ºª Thou shalt not² takeºª a wifeº to my sonº of the daughtersº² of the Canaanites,º in whose² landº I² dwell:ºª 38 Butº² thou shalt go¹ª² unto² my father'sº house,º and to² my kindred,º and takeºª a wifeº unto my son.º 39 And I saidºª unto² my master,º Peradventure² the womanº will not² followº¹ª² me. 40 And he saidºª unto² me, The LORD,º beforeº whom² I walk,ºª will sendºª his angelº with² thee, and prosperºª thy way;º and thou shalt takeºª a wifeº for my sonº of my kindred,º² and of my father's¹ house:º²² 41 Then² shalt thou be clearºª from [this] my oath,º² when² thou comestºª to² my kindred;º and if² they giveºª not² thee [one], thou shalt be² clearº from my oath.º² 42 And I cameºª this dayº unto² the well,º and said,ºª O LORDº Godº of my masterº Abraham,º if² now² thou doº prosperºª my wayº which²² I² go:ºª 43 Behold,² I² standºª by² the wellº of water;º and it shall come to pass,² that when the virginº cometh forthºª to drawºª [water], and I sayºª to² her, Give me,¹ª I pray thee,² a littleº waterº of thy pitcherº² to drink;ºª 44 And she sayºª to² me, Both² drinkºª thou,² and I will also² drawºª for thy camels:º [let] the same² [be] the womanº whom² the LORDº hath appointed outºª for my master'sº son.º 45 And before² I² had doneºª speakingºª in² mine heart,º behold,² Rebekahº came forthºª with her pitcherº on² her shoulder;º and she went downºª unto the well,º and drewºª [water]: and I saidºª unto² her, Let me drink,ºª I pray thee.² 46 And she made haste,ºª and let downºª her pitcherº from²² her [shoulder], and said,ºª Drink,ºª and I will give¹ª thy camelsº drinkºª also:² so I drank,ºª and she made¹ª the camelsº drink¹ª² also.² 47 And I askedºª her, and said,ºª Whose² daughterº [art] thou?² And she said,ºª The daughterº of Bethuel,º Nahor'sº son,º whom² Milcahº bareºª unto him: and I putºª the earringº upon² her face,º and the braceletsº upon² her hands.º 48 And I bowed down my head,ºª and worshippedºª the LORD,º and blessedºª² the LORDº Godº of my masterº Abraham,º which² had led² me¹ª in the rightº wayº to takeºª² my master'sº brother'sº daughterº unto his son.º 49 And now² if² ye willº dealºª kindlyº and trulyº with² my master,º tellºª me: and if² not,² tellºª me; that I may turnºª to² the right hand,º orº to² the left.º

Laban and Bethuel approve it.

50 Then Labanº and Bethuelº answeredºª and said,ºª The thingº proceedethºª from the LORD:º² we cannotºª² speakºª unto² thee badº orº good.º 51 Behold,² Rebekahº [is] before² thee,¹ takeºª [her], and go,¹ª² and let her be² thy master'sº son'sº wife,º as² the LORDº hath spoken.ºª 52 And it came to pass,² that, when² Abraham'sº servantº heardºª² their words,º he worshippedºª the LORD,º [bowing himself] to the earth.º 53 And the servantº brought forthºª jewelsº of silver,º and jewelsº of gold,º and raiment,º and gaveºª [them] to Rebekah:º he gaveºª also to her brotherº and to her motherº precious things.º 54 And they did eatºª and drink,ºª he² and the men¹² that² [were] with² him, and tarried all night;ºª and they rose upºª in the morning,º and he said,ºª Send me awayºª unto my master.º 55 And her brotherº and her motherº said,ºª Let the damselº abideºª with² us [a few] days,º at the leastº ten;º after¹ that² she shall go.¹ª² 56 And he saidºª unto² them, Hinder² me¹ª not,² seeing the LORDº hath prosperedºª my way;º send me awayºª that I may go¹ª² to my master.º 57 And they said,ºª We will callºª the damsel,º and enquireºª at² her mouth.º

Rebekah consenteth to go.

58 And they calledºª Rebekah,º and saidºª unto² her, Wilt thou go¹ª² with² this² man?º And she said,ºª I will go.¹ª² 59 And they sent awayºª² Rebekahº their sister,º and her nurse,ºª and Abraham'sº servant,º and his men.¹² 60 And they blessedºª² Rebekah,º and saidºª unto her, Thouº [art] our sister,º be² thou¹ª [the mother] of thousandsº of millions,º and let thy seedº possessºª² the gateº of those which hateºª them.

61 ¶ And Rebekahº arose,ºª and her damsels,º and they rodeºª upon² the camels,º and followedº¹ª² the man:º and the servantº tookºª² Rebekah,º and went his way.¹ª²

Isaac meeteth her.

62 And Isaacº cameºª from the wayºª² of the well Lahairoi;º for he² dweltºª in the southº country.º 63 And Isaacº went outºª to meditateºª in the fieldº at¹ª the eventide:º² and he lifted upºª his eyes,º and saw,ºª and, behold,² the camelsº [were] coming.ºª 64 And Rebekahº lifted upºª² her eyes,º and when she sawºª² Isaac,º she lightedºª offº² the camel.º 65 For she [had] saidºª unto² the servant,º Whatº manº [is] thisº that walkethºª in the fieldº to meet² us?¹ª And the servantº [had] said,ºª It² [is] my master:º therefore she tookºª a vail,º and covered herself.ºª 66 And the servantº toldºª Isaacº² all² thingsº that² he had done.ºª 67 And Isaacº brought² her¹ª into his motherº Sarah'sº tent,º and tookºª² Rebekah,º and she became² his wife;º and he lovedºª her: and Isaacº was comfortedºª afterº his mother'sº [death].